mebbitt



2 SHEEYS-SHEET I.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

A. A. MERRITT.

SEWING MACHINE PRESSER FOOT.

APPLICATION FILED OCT, 24, Ian.

1,388,360. Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 attozweqs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR A. IEBRITT, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 WILLCOX & GIBBS SEWING MACHINE CO., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SEWING-MACHINE PRISSER-FOOT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

Application filed October 24, 1917. Serial No. 198,249.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR A. MERRITT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Worcester, Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sewing-Machine Presser Feet, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in presser feet for sewing machines. Although designed especially for use with what is known commercially as the Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Co.s flatlock machinesshown for example in patents to Stockton Borton 1,041,574, and to A. A. Merritt 1,041,652, both dated Oct. 15, 1912, and producing the seam of Borton Patent 883,614, dated March 31, 1908-this invention is not restricted to use with any particular type or make of sewing machine.

In the presser foot of this invention, the work-contacting surface is divided longitudinally of the seam into two separately movable sections or members, for engagement with the Work along opposite sides of the medial line of the seam respectively. One of said members is yieldingly movable, under spring control, relatively to the other, to permit its work-contacting surface to assume a position either above or below the corresponding surface of the other member. As so generally constructed, the presser foot afl'ords approximately equal feed control and uniform advance of the work at both sides of a seam when a certain thickness of fabric (either one or more layers) at one edge is to be joined to a different thickness (either one or more layers) at the other edge of the seam. An ordinary presser-foot operatin under such conditions gives an uneven eed control resulting in a drawn or distorted seam. One of said foot members is further adapted to rock or tilt in the direction of the length of the seam and thereby maintain the even feed control in passing over variations of thickness; for example, where it is necessary to cross a previously made seam.

Another object attained by the invention is the provision of readily removable workcontacting arts of the foot, cheaply replaceable w on defective from wear, and also readily changeable for similar parts of other thickness to change the elevation of cut by the trimmer blades. Such change in the elevation of cut becomes desirable, according to the character of the goods, to vary the width of upstanding edges left to be flattened into the seam and bound and secured together by the stitching. For example, with loosely woven knit goods, the out should be relatively higher than with tightly Woven knit goods. The work-contacting parts may also be changed to vary the width of notch in which the upturned edges of the fabric advance to the trimmer blades-a wider notch for thicker fabric.

The aforesaid and other novel features of invention will be more fully explained with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating what is now believed to be the preferred embodiment of the invention as applied to a machine of the character of the aforesaid flatlock machines. In said draw- 1ngs Figure 1 is a front perspective View;

Fig 2 is a rear perspective looking in the opposite direction from Fig. 1, with the presser foot stripped of attachments illustrated in said Fig. 1, and including a showing of the presser-foot bar;

Fig. 3 is a detailed perspective showing particularly the bifurcated lower portion of the main body of the foot;

Fig. 4 is a plan view omitting some of the attachments shown in Fi l, but including fixed presser-foot guide members not shown in said Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 are details of the guide members shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a detail of a trimming-deflector or guard for guiding trimmings to one side and away from the needles;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section on line 99 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 10 shows in detached relationship two of the work-contacting shoes or bottoms of the presser foot and the parts for attaching the same to the main body of the foot;

Fig. 11 shows a detached foot bottom of greater thickness than that illustrated in Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a vertical central section on line 12-12 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 13 is a bottom view showing only the work-contacting parts of the resserfoot with a narrow notch between t e toes, for use with relatively thin fabric;

Cit

Fig. 14 is a similar view illustrating the substitution of parts formed to constitute a Wider notch for relatively thicker fabric and a chaining-foot with a correspondingly larger notch;

Fig. 15 is a detail perspective view of the chaining-foot turned upside down;

Fig. 16 is a'detail section on line 16 -16 of Fig. 4; I r Fig. 17 is a front end view of part of the presser foot, with a work-plate, feed memher, and part of a work-arm supportmg said work-plate, all shown in section, and with two thicknesses of fabric under one side of the presser foot to be joined to a single thickness of fabric under. the other side of against movement independent of the fixed 7 section thereof; and

Fig. 20 is a detail perspective view of th locking element of Fig 19.

In a number of particulars the presser footherein illustrated is substantially that of Figs. 46 and 47 of the aforesaid Merritt Patent No. 1,041,652. 30 is the main body of the foot having a split hub 31 and a contracting screw for securely clamping the foot to the lower reduced end of the foot-bar 32 (Fig. 2). Bar 32 is vertically movable in the head of the machine, a portion of the wall of which is shown at 33 in Fig. 2. The usual spring 34, the tension of which may be adjusted by a nut or plug 85, yieldingly presses the foot against the work while permitting vertical vibrations thereof in responseto. upward movements of the feed. A cross-thread carrier 36, a cross-thread hook 87, driving connections therefor, and the mounting of these partson the foot-body 30,

are substantially the same as inthc afore said Figs. 46' and 47 of Merritt Patent 1,041,652. Thus, said hook 37 is removably secured by a set-screw to the lower end of an upright shaft 88, Fig. 1, rotatable in an extension 39 of the foot-body 80. A rock-lever 40 (Fig. 1) secured to the upper end of shaft 38' has a long arm and a short arm, the latter connected by link 41 to a driving part not shown in the drawings hereof. The long arm of 40 extends in a curve to a pivot-a1 connection with one end of a lmk 42, the

other end of said link being in turn pivotally connected to crank-arm 48 at the upper end of a shaft 44 journaled in an upright opening 45 (Figs. 2 and 4) in foot-body 80. Cross-thread carrier 36 is detachably secured to the lower end of shaft44. The crossthread hook 37 and tln'ead-carrier 36 operate in the manner set forth in the patents aforesaid. I

In its vertical movements, when lifted to introduce work and when lifted by upward movements of the feed members, the presser foot is guided and held against sidewise movement by the following means shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 :'A bracket-arm 46, adapted to be secured to the underside of the head of the machine (not shown) has a flattened bearing surface 47 working against a similar surface 48 at one side of the foot-body 30. A plate 49, constituting a detachable section of the front cover of the head of the machine has a de )GIlQllIlo extension carr in bearing-block 50 engaging a flattened upright bearing surface 51 at the otherside of the foot-body 30. l

' The horizontally disposed flattened portion of the foot-body 80, which extends forward of what constitutes the shank of the foot, is bifurcated to form two toes or branches 55, 56 (Fig. 3) separated by a notch. in which the upturned edges of the fabric to be trimmed advance and are trimmed by the trimmer-blades. Fixed trimmer-blade 57 is secured to the underside of toe 56 by a' clamp-block 58 and screw 59 (Figs. 1, 9 and 12). Movable trimmer-blade 60 works in clearance beneathto-e 55 and the movable member or section of the presser foot also located on the underside of said toe. Blade 60 is clamped to the lower end of the trimmerarm 61, Fig. 1, which is the same in construction and operation as arm 643 of Fig. 47 of the aforesaid Merritt Patent 1,041,652, the construction being such that the upper movable blade 60 bears upon the upper surface of fixed blade 57 and, with its arm 61, participates in any upward movement of the presser foot and of blade 57.

The under surface of the presser foot which contacts the work is divided into three parts, sections or members. Ashoc or bottom 65, removably secured to the underside of the toe-portion 56 of the foot-body, constitutes the worl z contaeting surface of a relativ-ely fixed section or member of the foot" ment as part of the entire foot) extending parallel to the direction of feed and along one side of the medial line of the seam. Said bottom 65 has two dowels 68 and G9. Dowel 68 projects through an opening in foot-body 30 with a washer 70 around its projecting end, and is engaged by a screw 71 the head of which bears against said washer, Fig. 9. Dowel 69. enters a recess in the underside of toe 56 and isengaged by a screw 72. As thus apparent, bottom-65 is readily removable for replacement if worn, or for the substitution of another bottom of different thickness, such. aspthe thickerbottom 65 to change the elevation of cut by the trimmer blades.

A shoe or bottom 75 constitutes the second and herein termed compensating section or member of the work-contacting part of the foot. Said shoe is yieldingly movable relative to the fixed section of the foot and lies parallel thereto on the other side of the medial line of the seam. A flaring notch 76 (Fig. 13) between the forward ends of the foot sections 65 and 75 is adapted to be entered by the upturned edges of the fabric in passing to the trimmer blades operating in said notch near the rear closed end thereof. The mounting of compensating foot member 75 is as follows:--Two plungers 77, 77 work in vertical bearing openings in the main body portion 30 of the foot and in an extension 78 thereof which extends out over and is joined to toe b a tubular post 79, and through which the bearing opening for plunger 77 extends. A screw 80 threaded into the upper end of each plunger has a head of larger diameter than its plunger adapted to contact an annular shoulder about the interior of the bearing opening and act as a stop to limit the downward movement of the plunger by its spring. A spring 81 for each plunger, housed in the enlarged upper end of the plunger opening, bears at its lower end against the head of screw 80 and at its upper end in a hollow screw plug 82 closing the up er end of the bearing opening.

s shown in Fig. 8, the compensating member 75 is lifted against the pressure of springs 81, 81, carrying the heads of screws 80, 80 somewhat above their coiiperating stop shoulders. At its lower end, lunger 77 has a partly cylindrical cross-hea 83. Plunger 77' has a similar cross-head 84. 83 and 84 are adapted to engage, with freedom of pivotal movement, undercut grooves 85, 86, respectively, in compensating foot-member 75. Screws 87 and 88, threaded into 83 and 84 respectively. have heads which overlap the edges of grooves 85 and 86 and hold the compensating foot-section 75 to its position relative to the other work-contacting sections of the foot. By reason of its pivotal connection to each of the plungers 77 and 77, and also by reason of the adaptability of said plungers to move inward and outward, the compensating member 75 of the foot may tilt or incline-for example, as when a piece of fabric is just entering beneath its forward end as shown in Fig. 18-and such tilting may be a simultaneous lowering at one end and rising at the other end.

The pressure exerted by main presser-foot spring 34 is greater than that exerted by springs 81. 81, so that compensating footmember 75 adapts its position to that taken by foot-member and to the thickness of the fabric it engages. In other words. the compensating foot-member 75 sustains what may be termed a floating relationship to its companion foot-member 65. Spring 34 will always hold the relatively fixed foot-member 65 firmly in contact with the work thereunder. If there is greater thickness of work or fabric under compensating foot-member 75, then its springs 81, 81 yield and permit its firm engagement with the work at an appropriately higher elevation than the bottom of foot-member 65, as shown, for example, in Fig. 17, where one thickness of fabric under foot-member 65 is to be joinedto two thicknesses of fabric under compensating foot-member 75. With the conditions reversed. and the two thicknesses of fabric under foot-member 65, the springs 81, 81 would press the compensating foot-member into contact with the lesser thickness of fabric leaving the member 65 at a higher elevation in engagement with the greater thickness of fabric. In thus automatically accom' modating itself to differences and variations in thickness of material, the presser foot is enabled to maintain a firm and distributed pressure upon the work against the clothplate and feed-members, and to afford an even feed at both sides of the seam, regardless of differences and variations in the thickness of material.

When sewing upon work of the same thickness at both edges of the seam, it is preferable to fix or look the compensating member 75 with its work-contacting surface even with that of member 65, thus presenting the condition of the ordinary foot pressing upon the work at both edges of the seam under tension of the one spring 34. The preferred means for thus locking foot-memer 75 are best shown in Figs. 8 and 10. A cylindrical bolt or looking member 110 is mounted to slide horizontally in the enlargement 111 of the extension 78 of the body of the foot, the bearing opening at its opposite ends intersecting the vertical bearing openings for plungers 77 and 77'. Bolt 11 has a head at one end and a tongue 112 at its other end adapted to make locking engagement with a notch 113 of plunger 77. Near its headed end, bolt 11 has a semi-circular recess 114 and adjacent thereto a tongue 115 adapted to make locking engagement with a notch 116 of plunger 77. To look the compensating foot-member, the presser foot is lowered into contact with the throat-plate. The pressure of spring 34 dominating that of springs 81, 81, the two foot-members 65 and 75 are brought into even contact with the throat-plate, with foot'member 75 and its pglungers in the position shown in Fig. 8.

olt 110 is then pushed into its locking position, its tongues 112 and 115 engaging notches 113 and 116, respectively. To release foot-member 7 5. bolt 110 is pulled out. disengaging its tongues from the notches and bringing circular recess 114 into register vsame against accidental displacement from either its locked or unlocked position, while permitting the bolt to move under pressure.

In the modified form, of locking means illustrated in Figs. 19 and 20, 120 is a locking plate slidable on two screws 121-, 121, passing through slots 122, 122 of the plate and threaded into the extension 78 of the foot-body 30, Plate 120 has two depending legs, one bowed outwardly to give clearance for other parts and each provided with a slot 123 in the lower end thereof. The screws 87 and 88, before described, engage loosely through said slots respectively. An outwardly turned lug 124 affords a grip by which the plate maybe moved either to its locking position with the narrow ends of slots 122, 122 in engagement with the shanks of screws 121, 121, or to its release position with the large ends of said slots about said screws.

A chaining-foot 99, generally similar to that of the patents aforesaid, constitutes the third worlncontacting section or member of the presser foot. It is relatively larger than that of said patents and affords better control of the threads in chaining-off; it is wider and is also extended forward to em.- brace needle opening 91, which, in the patents, is located in the body of the main foot in advance of'the chaining-foot. An upturned flange 92 at the forward end of chainingfoot 99 works close to an upright surface 98 and in front of a bar 9 1 (Figs. 3, 4: and 12),

' both of which are parts of the main body 2390f the foot. A notch 95 in the forward under edge of 90 forms a continuation of notch 76 and merges into'the flattened under surface of the chaining-foot in advance of the needle opening, whereby the trimmed edges are effectively flattened out and into abutment before arriving at the needles. 96 isa shank or stem, vertically movable in an opening 98 bored in the body of 30. A screw 97 threaded into stem 96, with its head movable in a slot (best shown in Fig. 1) in the wall of opening98, limits the movement of the chaining-foot relative to the main foot. A range of movement for the bottom surface of the chaining-foot, approximating one thirty-second of an inch above and below the bottom surface of the foot-member 65, has been found to give satisfactory results. Spring 99, Fig. 12, yieldingly holds chaining-foot 99 to its work and tends to move it to its outward limit. Said chaining-foot is pivotally and detachably connected to stem 96. A partly cylindrical rib or fulcrum 100 is formed on foot 99 near its rear end, as by riveting a short rod thereto. A groove of greater than semi-circular cross-section across the lower end of stem 96, is adapted to receive rib 100 by sliding the latter endwise into the groove. hen chaining-foot 99, thus attached to stem 96, is in its assembled position, it has freedom of vertical movement under the tension of spring 99 and also a range of rocking movement on its fulcrum 100, being at the same time confined against sidewise displacement by the two foot-members 65 and 75 between which it is positioned. By removing stop-screw 97, chaining-foot 9K.) and its stem 96 may be withdrawn and then detached from each other. Asshown in Fig/18, fabric entering under the forward tilt upward at its forward end.

Reference has heretofore been made to the employment of substitute foot-bottoms 65, 65 to change the elevation of out by the trimmer blades. With any such substitution, to preserve the most efficient relationship of parts it is desirable to employ correspondingly thicker or thinner substitutes for the compensating foot-member 7 and for chaining-foot member 65. Otherwise, for example, with the compensating footmember 75 locked, its bottom surface would not stand even with the bottom surface of foot-members 65; and the range of movement of chaining-foot member might be too high or too low relatively to the other footmembers.

Figs. 13 and 14 illustrate the use of substitute foot-members 65 and 75 to provide different widths of notch 76 for thinner or thicker material.

139 is a guard or deflector for. shielding certain of the stitch-forming elements, and more particularly for guiding to one side such trimmings as are removed'by the trimmer blades. Said deflector is preferably a strip of spring metal bent at one end to more than a semi-circle, forming clip 131 adapted to spring about and embrace the lower end of post 79. When so sprung in place, deflector 130 may be turned either to its normal working position, shown in dotted lines Fig. 1, or to the'position shown in Fig. 4;, to give access to the parts which it normally. shields, or it may be detached by pressure suflicient to disengage clip 131 from post 79. I

Any suitable feed may be used in conjunction with the presser foot of this invention. Fig. 18 shows the use of a double feedas in Merritt Patents 1,041,652 and l-,04l,658102 being a fulling feed-member and 103 a stitch feed-member working through an opening in the clotlrplate 1U-l.

As further illustrated in Fig. 17, the cloth-' plate is carried by a work-arm 105, fragments of which are shown, and the stitch feed-member 103 has four sets of teeth working through four slots in the clothplate and coiiperating with both members and of the foot.

Where the word substitutive is used in the claims with reference to bottom members 65 and 65' (Figs. 9, 10, 11, 13 and 14), it applies to any one of two or more such parts each varying in its dimensions from the others. Likewise, where the word substitutive is used in the claims with reference to bottom member 75 (Figs. 8, 10, 13 and 14) it applies to any one of two or more of such parts each varying in its dimensions from the others.

What is claimed is 2- 1. A presser foot having a foot-body, two companion work-contacting surfaces on said foot-body positioned to engage the work at opposite sides respectively of the medial line of the seam and forming between them a notch extending rearward from the forward end of the foot, and means movably mounting one of said surfaces on the foot-body under tension adapted to yieldingly hold it in engagement with work thereunder and enabling it to assume different elevations relative to the other surface and foot-body, said mounting means also permitting rocking or tilting of .said movable surface in the direction of the length of the seam.

2. A presser foot having a foot-body, two work-contacting surfaces or members on said foot-body one fixed relative to the body, means movably mounting the other member on the foot-body, said mounting means including two upright plungers each pivotally connected to said movable member permitting rocking or tilting of the latter in the direction of feed, and plunger-actuating springs for pressing said movable member into enga ment with the work thereunder and enabling it to assume different elevations relative to the other work-contacting surface.

3. In a resser foot, the combination with a foot y, of a work-contacting member movably mounted on said foot-body acting to engage only one of two edges of fabric to be joined and adapted to operate either in movable or fixed relationship thereto, and means for locking the movable member to the footbody when it is to operate in fixed relation thereto. 7

4. A presser foot having two work-contacting sections or members relatively movable for some conditions of operation and both positioned to engage the work in advance of the point of stitch formation, and

locking means for fixing said foot sections together for other conditions of operation.

5. A presser foot including a foot-body having a fixed and a relatively movable work-contacting member, both positioned to engage the Work in advance of the point of I stitch formation, and locking means adapted to secure said movable member in fixed relationship to the foot-body for certain conditions of work.

6. A presser foot having a work-contacting section for engaging the work at one side only of the medial line of the seam, and an other relatively movable and yielding workcontacting section adapted to engage the Work at the other side only of said medial line of the seam, and locking means adapted to secure the movable work-contacting section in fixed relationship to the other section for certain conditions of work.

7. A presser foot including a foot-body having a fixed work-contacting member for engaging only one of two edges of fabric to be joined, a relatively movable work-contacting member for engaging only the other of said two edges of fabric, and locking means adapted to secure said movable member in fixed relationship to the foot-body for certain conditions of work.

8. A presser foot having a foot-body, a work-contacting member in fixed relationship to the foot-body for engagement with the work at one side only of the seam, a

second work-contacting member movably and yieldingly connected to said foot-body and thereby adapted to automatically accommodate itself to engagement with a different thickness of work at the other side only of the seam, and locking means for securing said movable work-contacting member in fixed relationship to the foot-body when both work-contacting members are to operate upon work of the same thickness.

9. A presser foot having a foot-body, a work-contacting member positioned to engage work in advance of the point of stitch formation and movably mounted on said foot-body with tension means for yieldingly pressing said member into engagement with work, and locking means for securing said movable member fixedly to the foot-body.

10. A presser foot having a foot-body, a work-contacting member positioned to engave work in advance of the point of stitch formation and movably mounted on said. foot-body with tension means for yieldingly pressing said member into engagement with work, and a sliding lock member for securing said movable work-contacting member in fixed relationship to the foot body.

11. A presser foot having a slot extending rearward from its forward end, work-contacting members bordering opposite edges of said slot and one yieldingly movable with relation to the other in its engagement with the Work, and locking means for securing said movable member in fixed relationship to rearward from its forward end, a workcontacting member bordering one edge of said slot and engaging the work along one slde only of'the seam, a second work-contacting member bordering the other edge of said slot and movably mounted with tension means for yieldingly pressing it into engage-' ment. with'the Work at the other side only of the scam, the mounting of said movable member also permitting rocking or tilting 7 thereof in the direction of the length of the movable: substitutive work-contacting the dimensions of which affect the funct1on-.

seam.

15. A presser foot having two approximately parallel work-contactingsurfaces or members forming an intervening slot at their forward ends, one of said members being yieldingly movable relatively to the-other for engagement with different thicknesses of work, and one of saidvmembers being mounted to permit rocking or tilting thereof in the direction of the length. of the seam.

16. i A presser foot having a readily. re-

ing of thefoot in its engagement with the work. I

17. A presser foot having a readily removable substitutive- Work contacting bottom member the dimensions of which affect the functioning of the foot in its engagement with the work.

18. A presser foot having a body partand a readily removable substitutive work-contacting bottom member detachably secured to said body-part.

19. The combination with a presser foot, of means operating in conjunction therewith in the formation of a seam, said foot having a readily removable substitutive work-contacting part the dimensions of which affect the operative position of said means.

20. The combination witha presser foot,

art

1,ass,aeo

which affect the operative position of said means, said part being readily removable for. replacement by a substitute part of difierent dimensions to alter the operative position of said means.

21. The combination with a presser-foot, ofmeans operating in conjunction therewith in the formation of a seam, said foot having a work-contacting bottom the dimensions of which affectthe operative position-of said means, said bottom being readily-removable for replacement by a substitute part of different dimensions to alter the operative position of said means.

22. The combination with a presser-foot, of trimmer mechanism operating in conjunction therewith, said foot havinga work-contacting part the dimensions of which affect the position of cut the trimmer mechanism, said part being readily'removable for replacement bya substitute part of different dimensions to alter the position of. cut.

23. The combination with a presser foot, of trimmer-mechanism operating in conjunction therewith, said foot having a workcontacting bottom the thickness of which affects the elevation of cut by the trimmermechanism, said bottom being readily removable to permit the substitution of a bottom ofodiiferent thickness to change the ele'-. vation of out.

24. A presser foot having as a part thereof a work-contacting member detachably secured in place and forming one edge of 'a' slot in the foot, the detachabilityuof said members adapting it to the substitution of another member shaped to give a slot. of'different dimensions.

25. A presser foot having as parts thereof two work-contacting members detachably secured inplace to form between them a slot, the detachability of said members adapting them to the substitution of other members shaped to give a slot of different dimensions.

26. In a presser foot, the combination with a foot-body, of two work-contacting bottoms detachably secured to said body and forming an intervening notch extending rearward from their front ends, the detaohability of said bottoms adapting them to replacement by other bottoms shaped to give a different width of intervening notch.

In testimony ARTHUR A. MERRITT. 

